Do you think men are naturally funnier than women?
And before you start yelling at me, there are funny women that crack me up. Sarah Silverman, Amy Sedaris, Andrea Martin.
And there are women I know personally that crack me up. But if I were asked to name the top 20 funniest people I know in real life, probably only three women would make the list. I'm just being honest with you. Jesus Christ! Calm down.
But it's not something that bothers me - if someone isn't funny. As long as they're laughing at MY jokes. Or as long as they're feeding me straight lines. Like a comedy team. Such as the famous duo of Gwynne and Lewis. (Yeah. Not really THEM, but.....)
So what do you think? Is it a social thing? Or is humor so subjective that there's no way of measuring it? (Yeah right)
Quick post today so I didn't do any reesearch to find multiple opinions but here's one take on it: clicky here.
And I will add that I follow some hysterical women on Twitter.
ReplyDelete...and female bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you that men are more humorous/funny than women. Why? It's because men are willing to degrade themselves for a laugh. Women are to vain and self-conscious to stoop to that level (or maybe just too prissy and uptight).
ReplyDeleteMelaka
Hey jerk (jk, that was funny,right? oh yeah, probably not)
ReplyDeletei think men stand-up comics are generally funnier, but in real life women are just as funny. But definitely smarter and better cooks.
Anonymous/Meleka - That's a good point. Because the funniest people are the ones that really aren't embarrassed to look like an idiot.
ReplyDeleteKristen - Yeah but you're funny. Remember that DM you sent me the other day? Yeah. You do.
I had written a long, psychologically sound post full of bullets and references and generally well researched reasoning and impressive findings, but it all boiled down to this one true fact:
ReplyDeleteWomen could publicly wear banana hammocks and Hitler mustaches too, but we choose to do that in private. Also, somewhere in there, there was something about a midget making subtle sexual advances at my cat, and I had to politely ask him to go back into his cupboard and continue garborating my leftovers like that one in the Flintstones, only cheaper- but that was really just a fun digression and had only a little to do with gender roles.
What if it was spelled Gender ROLLS? Get it? Like fat people.
So really, my actual point is this:
Fat transgendered people and lippy garberator midgets in my cupboard.
Chelle - the ROLLS line made me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteFunny isn't dictated by penises or vaginas but rather the brain. Then again, men think with their penises so maybe you're onto something.
ReplyDeleteGender rolls could also be described as lovely anatomically correct pastries.
ReplyDeleteOr giant balls of people all tied together with elastics being pushed down hills. Whee! Each ball could be made of either men or women... then we could see who's ball rolls the fastest.
But once again, where do the transgendered people fit in? It's never fair is it?
What's wrong with me? Huh? Oh- It's the cold medicine. It makes me see things more clearly.
If we're going to go for attention....
ReplyDeletewe use sex. It's so much easier than being funny.
Just my .02. ;)
I have to disagree with women not wanting to degrade themselves. Apparently, you did not stick around long enough the other night to see the JenJen and Lindsay show. Totally. Degrading. And funny.
ReplyDeletemen are generally funnier than women because men are more inclined to make fun of themselves, whereas women, generally speaking, are more concerned of what others, especially strangers and other women, think of them.
ReplyDeletea funny guy will just not give a shit.
Guys are funnier, hands down.
ReplyDeleteNever really got a grasp on "Female Rockers", either. Now THAT'S a funny concept.
Probably if the gender roll balls crashed into each other at the bottom of the hill, some people would accidentally wind up pregnant. Then they'd all have to consult Maury Pauvich to sort out who is who's baby daddy. Then some of them would be all, "I KNOW it's not my baby, it doesn't even LOOK like me" then Maury would say, "You ARE the Father" and then the father would throw a chair and then get it together and say, "I'm gonna step up to the PLATE" and then everyone would clap while the other would be father walked away all dejected because he was ready to raise that baby like it was his own and it didn't even MATTER that he wasn't the father, but secretly, he high fives the producer on the way out.
ReplyDeleteIt's the circle of life.
Lindsay and I were quite the pair. Sure it was sexual and my tits ended up on camera...but hey.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it funny versus degrading is what you are willing to do for the joke. For. The. Joke.
But zibbsy? Baby? You'll always be the funniest to me.
(insert: AWWWWW here.)
I'm really glad I came across your site. A few years ago I came across an article in Vanity Fair by Christopher Hitchens. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/01/hitchens200701
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the first article I read that really really made me mad enough to remember the writer. (blogs withstanding) As a female comedian, his pov that women are not as funny as men, really pissed me off at the time. Now I've kinda switched gears. It's not so much that men are funnier, it's just that women seem to follow some sort of social norm that doesn't allow them to act the way men do, which has always set the bar as to what people think of is funny.
I decided I don't care anymore. If people write off my humor because I'm female, their loss!
I've always thought the best humor comes from misery. And since women have been, generally speaking, more oppressed and overlooked than men, they should be funnier. Hands down. But they're not. It's pretty even, or a little skewed in favor of men. I'm not sure what all this means, but *fart*
ReplyDeleteCarisa - Is any of your stand up online? I'd like to check it out.
ReplyDeletehmm... I suppose some women are vain and uptight and can't make fun of themselves... I don't really get that though (dancing on my blog like a retard comes to mind)
ReplyDeleteugh, this is too much like work, this question. I feel like I am in school so I officially have no opinion.
O.K. wait, I have one. Generally I have a hard time finding many people funny in the entertainment world because it's SO obvious and to me that is NOT funny. Tiger Woods jokes? NOT funny. Political satire? Oh ZZZZZ.... The Hangover movie? Really? THAT was funny? It WAS? I thought it bit balls, like OH look a tiger in the bathroom and hahaha where did this baby come from, JESUS give me a break, lame.
I like true life stuff I suppose. I Love BOTH David and Amy Sedaris.
I've never thought about this before... Hmm, now that I think about it, I don't ever remember being in a class when the 'class clown' was a girl.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that means SOMETHING.
Betty White. She makes me laugh without even saying a word!
ReplyDeleteKate - I agree. I love Betty White. Since Mary Tyler Moore.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm a fan of British humour. Ever seen the Green Wing ? So funny ...and most of the women in it are the best ! Oh and let's not forget Patsy as in Absolutely Fabulous ! Her facial expressions and cynicism toward Saffy cracks me up every time !
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are more funny men, but women are smarter, nicer, and better looking.
ReplyDeletechelle...I seriously made gender rolls for my ninth grade class after we read Romeo and Juliet. Not exactly anatomically correct, but funny as hell anyway. Worst part (or possibly best), I swear to you that half the kids in one of my classes never got the joke (gender roles, gender rolls...morons. not my fault, they came to me that way from 8th grade).
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it. But it's true. Men are funnier than women. BUT. Men who aren't funny but are trying to be? WAY less funny than women who are trying to be but aren't.